Power has been restored in Alrode proper following a destructive fire at the Z7 electricity substation in the early hours of Wednesday, 24 September. However, many parts of Thokoza, including eMpilisweni and the hostels, remain without electricity as critical repair work continues.

The fire caused severe damage to the substation, leaving more than 100 businesses and hundreds of households without power.

Business owners in Alrode have reported losses running into the millions of rands, with operations brought to a halt for several days. Emergency services responded quickly and managed to extinguish the flames, and fortunately, no injuries were reported.

The blaze, however, destroyed key infrastructure, including multiple transformers and high-voltage cables. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though an electrical surge is suspected.

Power back in Alrode

According to Ward 94 Councillor Samantha Nair, technicians have successfully restored power in Alrode, with Ring Main Units (RMUs) reconnected and ready to take load. Testing for restoration began on 1 October at 17:00.

However, Thokoza, eMpilisweni, and the hostels are still without power. Technicians continue urgent repairs, including finalising protection wiring for the 33kV panels and damaged transformers.

“We’ve prioritised restoring electricity to businesses first, due to the scale of financial losses. We understand the frustration of residents, and teams are working day and night to complete the remaining work,” said Mzayifani Ngwenya, MMC for Energy.

Local economy hit hard

Nair, who has been working closely with affected communities, said the fire has caused serious damage to the local economy and delayed services across the region.

“This was a major incident. Technicians confirmed that a large number of cables and transformers were badly burnt. The damage is massive. We are doing all we can to get power restored in Thokoza and surrounding areas as soon as possible,” she said.

Frustrated businesses demand accountability

While power has returned to Alrode, business owners voiced concern over how the crisis was handled.

“There’s been very little progress or clear communication from the municipality. The fire was bad enough but the lack of updates made things worse,” said Charles Smith, a local businessman.

During a high-level meeting held on 30 September between city officials, the MMC for Energy, the ward councillor, the customer relations manager Khosi Dlamini, and the Divisional Head of Energy Lawrence Msibi, several key issues were raised by affected stakeholders.

These included:

• Communication

• Triple P (Private-Public Partnerships) Policy/Framework

• Restoration phases

• Manufacturing productivity challenges

These concerns reflect growing calls from the business community for better coordination, transparency, and stronger public-private cooperation in times of crisis.

The road ahead

Although technicians have made progress in Alrode, full restoration across Thokoza, eMpilisweni, and the hostels remains incomplete. No clear timeline has been provided for when these areas will be reconnected.

City officials say they are committed to fully restoring power and strengthening the electricity network to prevent future disasters. Residents and businesses are urging the municipality to act faster and improve long-term infrastructure planning.